Natatolana galathea Bruce, 1986

Keable, Stephen J., 2006, Taxonomic Revision of Natatolana (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae), Records of the Australian Museum 58 (2), pp. 133-244 : 178-180

Natatolana galathea Bruce, 1986

Natatolana galathea Bruce, 1986: 86 , fig. 58.– Brusca et al., 1995: 80.– Bruce et al., 2002: 150.

Type material. Holotype: ♀, ZMUC CRU1692 (examined). Type locality: Gulf of Carpentaria , Australia, 10°37'S 139°19'E.

Material examined. Western Australia: series from North- West Shelf , CSIRO 1983, sled, AM P47135–47138: 3, 19°56.7'S 117°53.6'E, 41 m , 05-B2-S; 233, ovigerous ♀, 19°56.4'S 117°53.9'E, 44 m, 03-B2-S; 3, 5♀♀ (1 ovigerous), manca,

19°56.9'S 117°53.7'E, 42–43 m, 02-B2-S; ♀, 19°59'S 117°51.4'E, 42m, 01-B1-S.

Diagnosis. Interocular furrow: moderately developed, distinct but not extending across the cephalon. Frontal lamina: lateral margins straight, narrowing anteriorly. Antenna: c. 0.35× as long as body, reaching to between posterior of pereonite 3 and 4 (not to pereonite 2 as originally described). Coxal plates: furrows strongly developed, on all coxae. Pleonite 4: apex slightly rounded. Pleotelson: broad, length 0.7× basal width; anterodorsal depression present; anterolateral margins almost straight and angling posteriorly toward the midline, or convex; posterolateral margins convex; apex not produced, lateral margins converging smoothly to a point, or produced into a small point; with 8 RS. Pereopods 1–6: males with conspicuous elongated RS subequal to propodus on the merus of pereopods 1–3 and extending from the carpus to dactylus of pereopods 4–6. Pereopods 2–3: propodus without RS on palm. Pereopod 7: basis narrow, width 0.45× length; distance between anterior margin and medial carina less than between posterior margin and medial carina; posterior margin with setae along entire length. Penes: present. Pleopod 2 appendix masculina: extending subequal with tip of endopod, 1× length of endopod; margins strongly curved laterally; slender; apex not at angle to adjacent margins, bluntly rounded. Uropods: exopod slightly shorter than endopod, 0.85× the length of the endopod.

Sexual dimorphism. Males may have slightly longer antennae, extending to the posterior of pereonite 4. Females lack the conspicuously elongated robust setae present on the merus of pereopods 1–3 and on the carpus of pereopods 4–6 of adult males.

Size. Adults to c. 7 mm.

Remarks. This is the first record of a male specimen of Natatolana galathea . This species is most similar to N. pellucida and can be identified by examination of the characters discussed in remarks for that species.

Distribution. Australia: northwestern Western Australia; Gulf of Carpentaria. At depths of 41– 57 m.